Windows 10: Turn Tablet mode on or off

If you use Windows 10 on a tablet, it will default to the touch-friendly Tablet mode. This looks and works differently to the normal Desktop mode.

The Start menu fills the entire screen, and looks similar to Windows 8’s Start screen of large tiles. The taskbar is more simplified too, with four key buttons (Start, Back, Search and TaskView) and no app icons. Apps default to full screen mode and cannot be resized.

Change Windows 10 to or from Tablet mode

If you have a hybrid device such as a touchscreen laptop, then Windows 10 may automatically recognise when you’re using it more like a PC or more like a tablet.

It will switch between Desktop and Tablet mode automatically (or provide an automatic message prompting you to do so). This feature is called Continuum.

You can toggle Tablet mode on or off manually by going to Start > Settings > Tablet mode. If you're already in Tablet mode, you may need to right-click on Start to do this, or you can search for ​​settings​​ or ​tablet mode​​ in the search bar.​

Here, you can also specify whether your device starts in Tablet or Desktop mode whenever you sign in and whether Continuum will automatically switch between modes depending on whether it detects a keyboard connected to the device or not.